Shimosuwa

Shimosuwa sits on the northern shore of Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, where a mountain-ringed basin shapes central Honshu. The town developed as Shimosuwa-shuku, a post station on the Nakasendo, the Edo-period road linking Kyoto and Edo; traces of its former inn district remain in the centre. It is also home to the lower shrines of Suwa Taisha, one of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrine complexes. Every six years, Shimosuwa takes part in the Onbashira Festival, when immense fir trunks are ceremonially brought to the shrines. Lake Suwa is known for its hot springs and, in particularly cold winters, the omiwatari ice ridge. Discover other points of interest through webcams located across Shimosuwa and Nagano Prefecture.

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